Viral Marketing Still Works Abroad

Shaan Puri shares insights about viral marketing effectiveness across different geographic markets, drawing from his experience with viral growth campaigns. He explains how certain viral marketing techniques that no longer work in developed markets still show significant success in developing nations.

• Viral Marketing Evolution:

  • Techniques that worked in the US 10 years ago are now less effective
  • Email open rates have significantly declined in mature markets
  • People in developed markets are more skeptical of forwarded content

• Success in Developing Markets:

  • India and Turkey show exceptional viral growth potential
  • Users in these markets:
    • Open emails at rates similar to US users from 10 years ago
    • Forward content at even higher rates than historical US metrics
    • Show less resistance to sharing content with their networks

• Trade-offs:

  • Higher viral coefficients in developing markets
  • Lower monetary value per user
  • Still provides meaningful growth despite lower revenue per user

• Specific Example:

  • Implemented SMS-based viral campaign
  • Achieved viral coefficient of 2
  • Unexpected growth in Kazakhstan:
    • Resulted in $120,000 SMS bill in just 2 days
    • Demonstrated both the potential and risks of viral growth in emerging markets

The key insight is that while viral marketing techniques may seem outdated in mature markets, they can still drive significant growth in developing nations - though this comes with its own set of challenges and considerations regarding user value and unexpected costs.